Pocket-sewing machine



May 11, 1943. H. B. HATHAWAY 2,318,686

POCKET SEWING MACHINE Filed Ap111Y 11, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet l M 1 fwilllwnlwmmuwmmwn@gina- May ll, 1943- H. B. HATHAWAY V POCKET SEWING MACHINE 5 sheet's-sheet k2 Filed April ll, 1940 JNVENTOR BY/Ze/'Z weg;

M, @ww -f ATTOR EYS.

May 11, 1943- E H. B. HATHAWAY u 2,318,686

POCKET SEWING MACHINE Filed April l1, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 48 5; 'l\ gz II, ,da O a $25 May 11, 1943- H. B. HATHAWAY 2,318,686

POCKET SEWING MACHINE Filed April 1l, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 NVENTOR ATTO NEI/5- My 1l, 1943- H. B. HA'rHAwAY POCKET SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 11. 1940 .Ng R,

Lliv HM Tl i @i E. E

Patented May 1 1, 1943 POCKET-SEWING MACHINE Hubert B. Hathaway, Windsor, Ontario, Canada,

assignor to L. A. Young Spring s; Wire Corporation, Detroit. Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 11, 1940, Serial No. 329,025

(Cl. Ilz-2) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to fabric pocketing devices, and more particularly to an improved machine adapted to sew folded material transversely to form a plurality of spaced pockets therein.

In the devices heretofore employed to form spaced pockets in fabric material it has been customary to sew transverse pockets separately on a sewing machine having a stationary head. This practice is objectionable because it is time consuming since it is necessary to move the material relative to the machine and the cost of forming pockets of the type under consideration has therefore been undesirably high.

An object of .this invention is therefore to provide an improved machine capable of forming spaced pockets in folded material economicallyA and more rapidly than has heretofore been possible.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a machine wherein folded material may be intermittently fed in a substantialy straight line through a machine having sewing heads which move transversely relative to the fabric material to sew spaced pockets therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel intermittence movement mechanism capable of alternately moving a sewing head transversely relative to fabric material and indexing the fabric material forwardly when the sewing head approaches each extreme position of its transverse movement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide novel electrically controlled means whereby the sewing machine will be automatically rendered inoperative in the event that the sewing thread breaks or the thread in the bobbin of the sewing machine runs out.

A further object is to provide an improved sewing machine having sewing heads movable longitudinally of the machine to intermittently sew fabric material passing transversely through the machine in a substantially straight path.

Another object resides in the provision of im- Another object is to provide an improved brake mechanism to exert a progressively decreasing force on a roll of fabric material as the size of the roll decreases thereby maintaining a substantially predetermined tension on the fabric as it is passed through the machine. l

Other objects and advantages of this inven.

tion will be apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, submitted for purposes of illustration only, and not intended to define the scope of the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the subioined claim.

In the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughoutthe several views:

Fig. l is a side elevation of amachine embodying the present invention.

proved marking means to automatically mark characters on material passing through the machine to indicate part numbers, ordernumbers, etc.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved motion transmitting means wherein a sewing head is moved across folded material and the folded material is intermittently moved a substantially predetermined distance when the sewing head approaches each of its extreme transverse positions to form substantially uniformly sized pockets in the folded material.

on the line I0-i0 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view. taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. v

. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine illustrated in F18. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line G-l of Fig.' 1.

. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an end view from the right hand side of the machine disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Fig.y 8.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken substantially Figs. l1 and 12 are sectional views taken substantially on the lines lI-II and i2`i2 respectively of Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a schematic view showing the wiring diagram of this machine.

Fig. 14 isl a perspective view illustrating one type oi' the finished article produced by this machine.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts .illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood'that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be observed that folded vfabric material 20 may be withdrawn from spaced reels 22 and passed over suitable sewing tables to form transversely extending pockets therein. After the pockets have been formed the pocketed material may be rolled up on spaced reels 24 or passed `directly to another machine designed to use the pocketed material for the desired purpose. If desired the fabric material may be fed across the sewing tables from a `fabric folding machine such for example as the slitting and folding machine disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 329,024.

The invention is disclosed as embodied in a machine having a pair of sewing heads preferably adapted to move in unison back and forth across two spaced generally parallel strips of folded material 20. It will be understood however that the invention may be carried out just as conveniently on a machinevhaving a single sewing head adapted to operate on a single strip of folded material, or wherein a pluralityfmore than two sewing heads) are employed, and also that where two or more sewing heads are employed they may move simultaneously in the same direction or in opposite directions as deslred.

The reels 22 and 24 may be supported on suitable shafts 26 and 28 respectively supported by a frame member 30. In passing from the reels 22 to the reels 24 the folded fabric 20 passes over a roll 32 and between the roll 32 and a roll 34 and is thereafter directed across a pair vof substantially fiat working surfaces 36 as more clearly illustrated in Figure 6.

Beyond the working surfaces 36 is a roll .38

over' which the material 20 passes and it is thereafter directed between the roll 38 and another roll 40. After the folded fabric passes from the roll 40 it may if desired be passed over a roller 42 as more clearly illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The roller 42 is associated with a suitable marking device 44 to stamp the pocketed material to indicate a part number or an order` number. After passing overtheroll 42 the fabric 20 may be passed around a pair of spaced guide rollers 44 and 46 before being wound upon the reels 24. l

Two spaced sewing machine heads 48 are mounted on movablebases 50 to move across the flat working surfaces 36 overwhich the folded fabric 20 moves in passing from the reels 22 to the reels 24. The movable bases 50 are mounted by means of clamps 53 tomove longitudinally on spaced rods 52 carried-by the frame 30.

Means are'provided tomove the sewing heads 48 andthe movablebases 50 longitudinally on the .rods 52 to sew` pockets l in the folded fabric 20. One desirable Vform Ofintermittent move- .ment mechanismincludes an angularly movable bar54,pivotallylmoun tedon one of the bases 50 and having. a slotagadapted to receive a bolt '58 carried `by theframejllf. :Thebar 54 may be `actuated angularlygbymeans ofa link 58 con- '(5 nected therewith by means of a bolt 58. The link 58 may be actuated by a suitable, rotatable cam 60 mounted on a shaft 82 and adapted to engage spaced roller members 64 and 68 carried by the link 58 to actuate the bar 54 to move the -bases 50 and heads 48. r1V`he length of stroke imparted to the sewing heads' 48 and the bases 50 may be varied by changing the effective lever arm of the bar 54 by inserting the bolt 58 through a different one of a plurality ofk spaced apertures 6| in the bar 54. Adjustment can also be made by changing the contour of the cam member 80.

'I'he various elements of this pocket sewing machine may be driven from a Asingle source of power such for example as an electric motor 14 mounted on the frame 30. Power may be transmitted from the motor 14 through a chain 16 to drive a main power shaft extending longitudinally through the machine. An auxiliary power shaft 18 extends longitudinally through the machine parallel to the power shaft 80 and is driven by cooperating gears 82 and 84 fixed to the shafts 18 and 80 respectively.

The power shaft 80 projects into a housing 86 and drives a worm gear 88 which meshes with and drives a worm wheel 90 fixed to a shaft 82. The shaft 82 is provided with a gear 94 which meshes with and drives agear 96 xed to a shaft 68. The shaft 88 is provided with a second gear |00 which meshes with a gear |02 fixed to the shaft 62 which drives the cam 60 to actuate the link 58 connected to the movable bar 54 which moves the .bases 50 and the sewing heads 48 transversely across the folded material to sew pockets therein.

The shaft 92 is also provided with a beveled gear |04 which meshes with and drives a beveled gear |06`xed to a shaft |08. A gear ||0 fixed to theshaft |08 meshes with and drives a larger gear ||2 having a segmental gear portion ||4 fixed thereto. 'Ihe segmental gear portion ||4 meshes with a gearl I8, fixed to the drive feed roll 88 to index the folded fabric 20 forwardly when the sewing heads approach either extreme position in their path of movement.

The number of stitches sewed by the sewing heads 48 as they move across the folded material 20 may be controlled by varying the size of the gears |00 and |02 and the gears ||0 and ||2. It should be noted that the gears |02 and ||2 should be the same size and also that-the gears |00 and ||0 s hould also be the same size. It will be noted that the shafts 98 and 62 which carry the gears |00' and |02 are adjustably mounted in slots ||1 and ||8 respectively whereby the ratio of the numbe of teeth in the gears may be varied through wide limits. The gear ||2 and the segmental gear ||4 is also mounted in a slot formed in an arm |20 te permit similar adjustment. Y

The shaft |08'is proviczed with a sprocket |22 which drives a chain |24 operablyconnectedthrough a sprocket |28 to the shaft 28 which carries the reel 24. Suitable friction clutchesl |21 may be interposed between theshaft 28vand the reels 24. Suitable means are provided'to engage the friction clutch to rotate the shaft 28 when the segmental gear,||4 is driving the-driveV roll I6. 'Ihe folded fabric material which-has'had the pockets formed therein is therefore mainas a -strap |28 carried by a rod |80 and having a weight |82 thereon. 'Ihe force exerted on the fabric varies in proportion to the amount of fabric on the reels 22 since the greater the amount of fabric the further the weight |82 will be deflected outwardly from the rod |88. A braking force which varies in proportion tothe amount of material on the reels is thus provided.

The mvable bases 88 which support the sewing heads 48 are provided with brackets |48 and |42 which carry sprockets |44 and |48 respectively keyed to and slidably mounted on the oppositely turning'rlrive shafts 18 and 80 respectively. Chain drives |48 and |88 interconnect the sprockets |44 and |48 with sprockets |82 and |84 respectively to drive the sewing needles of the spaced sewing heads 48 in opposite directions.

Referring now to Fig. 6, it will be observed that the sewing heads 48 are provided with substantially U-shaped` presser feet members |88 whereby the sewing heads 48 may be moved in opposite directions across the folded fabric 28 to sew pockets therein. Sewing thread |82 is supplied to needles |84 which cooperate with bobbin. members positioned to underlie the folded fabric 28 to perform the sewing operation.

Means are provided to automatically stop the machine from operating in'the event that the thread breaks. One desirable form of control member is illustrated in Fig. 2 andcomprises an arm |88 pivoted at |88 and provided at one end with an aperture |18 through which the thread |82 passes. The other end of the arm |88 is yieldingly urged by a spring 12 to hold spaced contact members |14 in contact.- .Electric current to operate the control device is supplied through a wire |18. The arm |88 is designed and proportioned in such a manner as to vibrate at approximately 1500 cycles per minute. In the event that the thread |82 breaks the spring |12 exerts sufcient force on the arm |88 to close the contacts |14 thereby shutting off the machine. The cut-off mechanism may be designed in such a manner as to stop the machine in the event that the arm |68 vibrates at a frequency of less than a desired speed, such for example as approximately 1200 cycles per minute.

Means are also provided to stop the machine when the bobbin thread is exhausted. One desirable form of bobbin control device comprises a gear wheel |88 having a pin |82 carried thereby intermediate its periphery and its axis, and adapted to engage an arm |84 which controls electric contact members |88 interposed in the motor circuit as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 13 and supplied with electric current through a wire |88. Means such for example as a pawl |98 carried by the link 88 may be employed to rotate the gear |88 a distance corresponding to one gear segment each time the link 58 oscillates to move the sewing heads 48 across the folded fabric to form a pocket therein. It is of course possible to determine approximately how many pockets can be sewed with a bobbin thread of a given length, and the control mechanism can be calibrated in such a manner that the gear |88 has -a suiiicient number of teeth to permit the sewing heads 48 to make the desired number of sewing operations across the folded fabric. When the bobbin thread is approximately exhausted a pin |82 contacts the members |84 to actuate the contact members |88 thereby stopping the machine. 'I'he solenoid |92 may be actuated by contact members |84 illustrated in Fig. 13.

Referring now to Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive. attention is called to the fact that means are provided to hold the folded fabric 20 stationary while the needles |84 are projecting therethrough. When the machine is being employed to stitch relatively light material there is sufficient give or-exibility in the material that there is little danger ci' breaking the needle in the event that the sewing heads 48 are continuously fed across the folded fabric. Ii' heavy material is being used there is danger of breaking the needles |84 in the event v that the sewing heads 48 are moved continuously across the folded fabric during the sewing operation. The worm gear 88 which cooperates with the worm wheel 88 may be formed with teeth segments 200 extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gear 88 as illustrated on Fig. 11. The opposite side of the gear 88 may be provided with teeth segments 202 having twice the normal pitch as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 12. `When this type of device is employed itvwill be noted that when the needles |84 are projected through the folded fabric 28, the gear segments 200 are in engagement with the worm gear whereupon no forward motion of the sewing heads 48 is transmitted through the chain of gears which actuates the bases 88 and the sewing heads 48. When the needles 84 are withdrawn from the folded fabric the segments 202 of theworm wheel 88 are in engagement with the worm gear 98 whereupon the bases 88 and the sewing heads 48 are moved a distance corresponding to the length of the stitch in the folded fabric 20.

Means may be numbers. This marking device is preferably suitably position to imprint the folded fabric 28 after it has passed through the sewing heads 48 to form the pockets therein. One desirable form ofmarking device is illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive and comprises a roller 42 over which the folded fabric 28 passes. A roller 2|8 having a type pad 2| 2 formed of rubber or other suitable material is disposed adjacent the roller 42 to engage the folded fabric 28. An inkingrolier 2| 4 is positioned to lie within a well 2|8 and to be engaged by the periphery of the type pad 2|2 t0 rotate the inking roller 2|4 thereby transferring ink or other suitable marking medium from the well 2|8 to the type pad 2|2. Since the roller 2|8 rotates continuously with the folded fabric 20 the typ'e pad 2|2 will impress markings on the fabric 28 each time the type pad 2|2 makes a, complete revolution. The size of the rollers 42 and 2|8 may be varied to vary the space between the indicia to correspond with the length of 28.

The electrical circuits of our improved machine are more clearly illustrated in Fig.' 13. Electrical current generally of the alternating current type may be supplied to the machine through three wires 228. The supply of the current to the machine from thev wires 220 is controlled by suitable contact members 222 having fuses 224 associated therewith. Magnetic starter units 228 including contact members 228 may be employed to assist in starting the device. A

manual starter button 248 having two settableprovided to mark the folded.' material with characters to indicate part or ordery pockets formed in the folded fabric y transformer 250 is providedto reduce the voltage of the current to approximately 6 to 8 volts, and a suitable rectifier 260 which may be of the Ratox type is provided to transform the alternating current to direct current. Current from the rectiner 280 passes through the solenoid |92 which is actuated by the contacts |14 and |88 associated with the thread ,control mechanism as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, and the bobbin control mechanism as more clearly illustrated in Fig. '1.

The operation of the machine as a whole is as follows: Assume that folded fabric material 20 of a desired width is wrapped on the reels 22 and that it is desired to form a plurality of substantially equally spaced pockets therein. The folded fabric 20 is threaded through the machine passing over the roll 32 and around the roll 34, the tension exerted between the rolls 32 and 34 being resiliently controlled by means of the springs 33 and the manually operable screw 35. After passing around the roll 34 the fabric is passed across the working surfaces to the drive feed roll 38, around the roll 40 which exerts a pressure on the-roll 38 by means of the spring 33 and the screw 35. The fabric 20 then passes around'the marking roll 42 and thence to the spaced guide rolls 44 and 46 after which it may if desired be wrapped on the spaced reels 24.

Power to drive the machine may be supplied by the motor 14 which through the chain 18 drives the main drive shaft 80 extending the full length of the machine. Cooperating gears 84 and 82 carried by the main driveshaft 80 and' an auxiliary drive shaft 18 cooperate to drive the auxiliary shaft 18 at the samespeed as the shaft 80 but in the reverse direction. The sprockets |44 and |48 s lidably mounted on the shafts 18 and 80 respectively operate through the chain drives |48 and |50 respectively to drive the sewing mechanism of the heads 48 in opposite directions at substantially uniform speed.

The main drive shaft 80 projects into the housing 88 and drives the worm wheel 88 as more clearly illustrated in liig.` l0. The worm wheel 88 drives a. worm lgear 90 xed to the shaft 92 which in tur-n through the gears 94 and 96 drives a shaft 98 having a gear |00 which drives a gear |02 fixed to a shaft 62 operably connected to drive a cam member 80. The cam member 80 operates between spaced rollers 64 and 66 operably connected with the link 58 to oscillate the bar 54 about the member 58 to actuate the bases 50 and the sewing heads 48 to sew pockets in the folded material 20.

The shaft 82 is operably connected by means of beveled gears |04 and |06 to drive a shaft |08 which is in turn operably connected through gears I| and ||2 and a segmental gear ||4 to drive the vfeed roller 38 intermittently to index the folded fabric forward when the sewing heads 48 approach either extreme position in their cycle of operation.

The number of stitches sewed in the fabric material 20 as the sewing heads 48 move from one extreme position to the other may be controlled Y. by varying the Vsize of the intermeshing gears |00 and |02, it being observed that the gear ||2 should bethe same size as the gear |02, and that the gear I|0 should be the same size as the gear In the event that it is desired to sew relatively thick or tough.materia1 and there is danger of the needles breaking due to movement of the sewing head while the needle |64 is projected through the material 20, a ratchet worm wheel drive of the type illustrated in Figs. 1l and 12 i maybe employed to permit movement of the worm gear and the associated driving members only when the needle |84 is out of the folded material 20.

The solenoid controlled contact points |14 are operably connected in such a manner through the electric circuit illustrated in Fig. 13 that the contacts |14 must be opened to permit the machine to operate. These contacts vibrate at some suitable speed, such for example as approximately 1500 cycles per minute, and in the event that the sewing thread |82 breaks, the spring |12 closes the contacts whereupon the machine stops.

Assuming the the contacts vibrate rapidly in the event the machine is running at full speed, such `as for example, 1200 to 1500 cycles per minute, if the speed of the machine should drop below this speed, the contact points will remain together long enough to permit the small solenoid to operate and cut off the machine. 'Ihis happens in the event of a slowdown due to the breakage of thread, which allows the contacts to remain together long enough to stop the machine. However, as long as the machine is operating at its normal speed, the contacts do not remain in contact long enough to operate the solenoid, thus the machine continues in operation at its regular speed. This is due to the time lag in the small solenoid. It takes a certain amount of time, which is predetermined to build this up. As long as the machine is operating at normal speed, the time lag is so great that it does not operate, but as soon as the machine slows down or the thread breaks, the current flows through long enough to cut off the machine.

The bobbin thread control mechanism is also operably connected through the electric circuit illustrated in Fig. 13 in such a manner that in the event the bobbin thread breaks, the solenoid actuated contacts |86 will close thereby stopping the machine. The pi-n |82 carried by the gear |80 engages the member |84 to render the machine inoperative when a substantially predetermined number of pockets have been formed. The pawl |90 operably associated with the link 58 may be employed to rotate the gear |80 a distance corresponding to one tooth length each time the sewing heads make a complete cycle of operation.

The marking device 44 operates to impress symbols 45 on the fabric material to indicate job or order numbers on the sewed material. The

roller 2|0 having the rubber type 2|2 positioned thereon is so mounted as to engage the folded material passing over the roller 42 to impress a mark thereon each time the roller 2|0 makes a complete revolution.

It will be observed that I have provided a novel and improved machine for economically and rapidly forming pockets in folded material since the folded material is passed in a substantially straight line through the machine and is indexed forwardly rapidly while the sewing heads are at each extreme position of their cycle of operation, and that the sewing heads are designed i-n such a manner as to sew a transverse pocket each time the sewing head moves in either direction. Automatically operable means have been provided to k.stop the machine in the event that something breaks, thereby immediately warning the operator that something has gone amiss and minimizing the possibility of seriously injuring the machine.

ric when the sewing needle is out of engagement with the fabric material, and intermittent motion mechanism including segmental gear drive means to move the fabric material a substantially predetermined distance relative to the sewing head each time the sewing head approaches one extreme position in its movement across the working surface.

HUBERT B. HATHAWAY. 

